Three interpretations of a new disease pattern, be it emerging, re-emerging, neither, or because we simply do not know:

“These five new cases highlight the possibility of an emerging infectious polio-like syndrome in California,” author Emanuelle Waubant, MD at UCSF.

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“We would like to stress that this syndrome appears to be very, very rare . . .Any time a parent sees symptoms of paralysis in a child, the child should be seen by a doctor right away.” Stanford’s Keith Van Haren, MD

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“At this time, CDC does not think the situation in California is a cause for public concern,” Jamila H. Jones, CDC public health educator, to the AP.